1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power screwdriver, and more particularly, to an automatic screw feeding apparatus for use with a power screwdriver.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of power screwdrivers have been developed to increase work productivity. They come in various sizes and styles, but with one thing in common. That is, almost all of them require an operator to manually hold a screw when using the power screwdriver. The inconvenience of holding each screw is compounded since the work productivity is limited by how fast screws are provided to the power screwdriver.
Although there are some screw feeding mechanisms for use with the power tools, most of them are large and cumbersome to use. Moreover, many internal components render these feeding mechanisms difficult to troubleshoot and maintain. Alternatively, some automatic screw feeding mechanisms require specially designed screw ribbons, where screws are queued in a single line, and thus cannot be used with ordinary individual screws. This is especially cumbersome since the screw ribbons may not be always available and the ribbons may rip when used in a heavy industrial environment.